Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

599 - Book Club—"Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and the Health of Our Nation" with Linda Villarosa Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

This week is Black Maternal Health Week in the US and to kick off the conversation, Dr. Josh Sharfstein speaks with author and New York Times contributor Linda Villarosa about her new book on racism and health. They discuss how she came to this topic after her years being a health editor at Essence magazine and why the picture is particularly stark for the health of Black women and their infants. They also talk about why she's optimistic about the health of Black people and how personal stories are helping to create societal change. You can read her article on maternal mortality mentioned in the podcast here.

BONUS: Mifepristone On Trial: An Unprecedented Overreach Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Raegan McDonald Mosley, an obstetrician-gynecologist and CEO of Power to Decide, returns to the podcast to talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the Texas case that invalidated FDA approval of the abortion medication mifepristone. They discuss what the ruling might mean in the short term and the broader implications for reproductive health, FDA approval of other drugs, and the field of medicine.

598 - A Court Decision Reducing Access to Preventive Services Under the Affordable Care Act Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

A U.S. district court in Texas issued a ruling limiting the scope of the Affordable Care Act's requirements for coverage of preventive services. On today's podcast, Joe Palmore, a former assistant to the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice and current co-chair of the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group at the law firm Morrison Foerster, talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the Braidwood Management Inc versus Becerra case, its consequences, and what comes next.

597 - Intimate partner violence, guns and the courts Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit allowed a man subject to an intimate partner violence restraining order to keep his guns. Kelly Roskum, the director of law and policy for the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, joins Dr. Josh Sharfstein to talk about this decision and what's next for guns and the courts.

596 - Building a Better CDC Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

A new report entitled "Building the CDC the Country Needs," makes recommendations for how to return trust and confidence to the nation's top public health agency's tarnished reputation. Stephanie Desmon talks to the co-chairs of the report, Steve Morrison, a global health policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Tom Inglesby, who heads the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. They discuss what has happened to the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic, and outline what needs to be done before the next one.

595 - How to be a Climate Advocate: Antha Williams on Bloomberg Philanthropies' Work to Tackle Climate Change and Improve Public Health Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Guest host Shelley Hearne, director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy talks to Antha Williams, who leads the Environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. In this episode, they discuss how Bloomberg Philanthropies is using data, storytelling, and grassroots campaigns to fight climate change and protect public health. Under Williams' direction, Bloomberg Philanthropies supports environmental initiatives to improve the sustainability of cities around the world, accelerate the transition to clean energy, combat overfishing and protect coral reefs, and help businesses and investors better understand climate-related financial risks and opportunities.

594 - Could Patent Reform Lower Drug Prices? Mar 31, 2023

Show notes

Humira is an immunosuppressive drug used to treat arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis, is one of the most profitable drugs of all time. In this episode, Tahir Amin, founder and executive director of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge., joins Dr. Josh Sharfstein to talk about how gaming the patent system may have helped stave off competition, costing consumers billions of dollars. They also discuss what it would take to reform the system.

593 - Do COVID's Origins Still Matter? Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

Three years on, we are still actively debating whether the pandemic was caused when the virus spilled over naturally from animals in a market or whether it was somehow caused by a Chinese lab leak. In this episode, Stephanie Desmon talks to Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, about the dueling theories on where COVID came from. They discuss what we know, why it matters and what lessons we can learn for the future.

592 - Anopheles Stephensi: The Invasive Mosquito Threatening to Worsen Malaria in Africa Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

The Anopheles stephensi mosquito is threatening to redefine malaria in Africa. In this episode, Thomas Locke, host of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute Extended podcast produced by the School Malaria Research Institute, speaks to Eric Ochomo from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, and Seth Irish from the World Health Organization, about the rise of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito. Together, they discuss why the mosquito is in Africa, what this means for malaria, and—more importantly—what can be done.

591 - Avoiding Clots After Fractures: Why Clinical Research Matters Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

What's the best way to prevent blood clots after serious fractures? Is it an expensive shot you have to give yourself twice a day? Or is it a little pill you might have already somewhere in your house? In this episode, Dr. Josh Sharfstein speaks to Dr. Robert O'Toole, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, about a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This research was conducted by the Major Extreme Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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